Star-studded breakaway Cuban baseball team celebrates its union, even without a place to play

By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — A breakaway team of Cuban players who defected from the country had their club debut delayed this week when the Colombian government canceled a tournament there. Players with the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation, or FEPCUBE, say Colombia nixed the tournament over opposition to the Cuban team’s participation. FEPCUBE player Yuli Gurriel called the team’s formation “historic,” but now the club has to figure out where it might actually be allowed to play. The dispute underlines the region’s complicated intersection of sports and politics.